Pages

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Dolly Parton or Sarah Mclaghlin?

At the nursing home yesterday where my sister and I visit, one of the residents told me about Dolly Parton's song He's Alive. It's a beautiful song about the risen Christ. I'd had never heard it before so I came home and found it on youtube:

My friend told me that when she hears the song it gives her goosebumps. This woman has some kind of wretched illness, I know not what. She sits in a wheelchair but is always pleasant. I enjoy our visits.

Then coming home from the nursing home I listened to Sarah Mclaghlin and her song Dear God.

Sarah blames God for wars and famines, and well just about everything. Which is puzzling because wars are started by men, and most famines occur because of corrupt despots. Not God.

Dear God,
Hope you got the letter and
I pray you can make it better down here.
I don't mean a big reduction in the price of beer
But all the people that you made in your image,
See them starving on their feet
'Cause they don't get enough to eat
From God
I can't believe in you.
Dear God,
Sorry to disturb you, but
I feel that I should be heard loud and clear.
We all need a big reduction in the amount of tears
And all the people that you made in your image,
See them fighting in the street
'Cause they can't make opinions meet
About God,
I can't believe in you.
Did you make disease, and the diamond blue?
Did you make mankind after we made you?
And the devil too?!
Dear God,
Don't know if you noticed, but...
Your name is on a lot of quotes in this book,
Us crazy humans wrote it, you should take a look,
And all the people that you made in your image,
Still believing that junk is true
Well I know it ain't, and so do you
Dear God,
I can't believe in...
I don't believe in...
I won't believe in heaven and hell.
No saints, no sinners, no devil as well.
No pearly gates, no thorny crown.
You're always letting us humans down.
The wars you bring, the babes you drown.
Those lost at sea and never found,
And it's the same the whole world 'round.
The hurt I see helps to compound
That Father, Son and Holy Ghost
Is just somebody's unholy hoax
And if you're up there you'd perceive
That my heart's here upon my sleeve.
If there's one thing I don't believe in.....
It's you.....
Dear God.

Interesting opposing world views I thought. One by by a wealthy entertainer who blames God for evil. And the other from a sick, materially bereft, yet joyful person, who gets comfort from God. The irony is that Sarah has an amazingly beautiful voice. Some would even say, a gift from God.